Microelectromechanical devices have become increasingly used for applications for which no comparable non-mechanical electronic device is available. Even for switching applications for optical communication, telemetry, and information processing systems, for which non-mechanical electronic devices do exist, a need for augmented capabilities is frequently met by microelectromechanical devices.
Nevertheless, as increasing numbers of devices are fit into ever-smaller spaces, optical microelectromechanical devices (hereinafter, "MEMS") become impaired by dust, smoke, and moisture condensation in spaces that must be kept optically free. Impairment occurs when design standards fail to be met. For example, for a telephone central office application, design standards like Telcordia's Network Equipment Building Systems standards need to be met. These standards are intolerant of any dust, smoke, or moisture condensation in the free spaces of optical switches. The technical and economic consequences of failures to meet such standards increase markedly as the size of an optical switching array grows. Thus, a need exists for avoiding the effects of dust, smoke, and moisture condensation in optical switching arrays. It is anticipated that this need extends to other MEMS devices and systems.